Commission of audit: ending the age of entitlement

[nero_bolt]

No to the age of entitlement.

Yes to that old Australia that prized self-reliance:

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/business/commission-of-audit-reveals-spending-cuts/story-fni0d2cq-1...

No to the age of entitlement. Yes to that old Australia that prized self-reliance:

 The ... National Commission of Audit ... calls on the Abbott government to retreat from health and education and other services to avoid duplication with the states while warning against the cost of new initiatives like the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which it seeks to delay by three years.

It sets out 10 major asset sales including short-term proposals to sell Snowy Hydro and Defence Housing Australia, along with long-term plans to sell Australia Post, the Royal Australian Mint and the Australian Rail Track Corporation…

Rejecting Mr Abbott’s signature paid parental leave policy in its current form, the audit commission calls for the payments to be capped at average earnings of about $57,500 a year.

This would limit payments to $28,000 for the wealthiest new parents, available to all with no means test, rather than Mr Abbott’s new limit of $50,000 announced in recent days.

Family Tax Benefit B, which goes to families with partners who do not work, would be abolished while Family Tax Benefit A would be drastically curtailed so the payments would start falling once a household exceeded $48,837 in annual income.

As revealed in The Australian today, the report calls for the family home to be included in the asset test that determines the size of the age pension.

The pension change would not take effect until 2027-28 and would only limit the payments to coupled pensioners with homes worth more than $750,000 in today’s dollars…

Treasurer Joe Hockey has already signalled an increase in the retirement age to 70 by 2029, compared with the commission’s suggestion of 2053.

Unemployment benefits would be taken away from young people aged 22 to 30 who do not have dependents or special exemptions and are not willing to relocate to “higher employment areas” after getting the benefits for 12 months…

Healthcare is a major target for reform in the audit report, which calls for a $15 co-payment on visits to GPs, compared with the government’s plan for a $6 charge, with the cost falling after 15 visits a year…

The audit report shows that government spending would rise to $690 billion by 2023-24, compared with $409 billion today in a “business as usual” scenario that is central to the claim — rejected by Labor — that the nation faces a “budget emergency” and must slash services.

 There are no detailed costings of individual measures, with those on the commission arguing it is hard to be precise, but the full suite of 86 recommendations is estimated to produce savings of $60 billion to $70 billion by 2023-24.

[witches*wol]

God help us all if they take on a lot of the audit recommendations, the poor are really going to struggle and I sadly think our way of life is going to get much, much harder.  People are struggling now the last thing we need is more increases in medical etc and cuts in family payments.

We will no longer be the lucky country 😞

[i-need-a-martini]

So who makes up this team, who theoretially should be reviewing the countries fiscal situation and future without bias?

Tony Shephard. Head of Business Council which represents to top 100 businesses in Australia. Staunch Liberal and campaigner for big business freedom. Shephard has also 'kindly' allowed staff at the Business Council to take on various roles related to the audit such as providing a secretariate.

Peter Boxall. Ex public servant reknown for huge sell offs of government buildings and land. Later Peter Costellos Chief of Staff. Staunch Liberal, free market champion and radical economic rationalist.

Tony Cole. Ex investment banker. Now sitting on boards for various business organisations. Probably the least self interested and biased of the team.

Robert Fisher. Forestry spokeperson. As in, keen to cut down as much forest as possible for money.

And Amanda Vandstone. Nothing more needs to be said here does it?

What a load of crock.

[fourandsixpants]

[fourandsixpants]

I read here:http://archive.atomicmpc.com.au/forums.asp?s=1&c=1&t=115323&p=40  where a poster actually said:

" Joe Hockey is Amanda Vanstone in drag....."

[polksaladallie]

---

@azureline** wrote:

I can see benefits to some of those plans................. add this one

No benefits payable to children who refuse to live at home and lie about being "kicked out" or abused, when there is nothing to support the claims, no history of abuse, no evidence tendered or sought........... even after contacting the parents and being told the claims are bogus because the 14 yo just doesn't like being told they can't come and go as they please at any hour of the day or night, can't drink alcohol, has to attend school on a daily basis and mum won't be buying cigarettes, nor allowed to associate with older street wise teens/young adults.

---

While I agree that there are some young people who abuse the system, the numbers are very very small.  In the main, these children have valid claims.  There is a lot of unseen abuse behind walls, often leading to suicide, which is now the greatest COD in this young age group.  These parents are hardly going to admit to abuse.  The children's help line cannot deal with the demand of troubled young people.  It is always better to believe than to not believe, and go from there.

[fourandsixpants]

Senate Committee meeting in the ACT. AIRING NOW on ABC....what a farce!! can only count about 7 people in the meeting/in the room (prob including the camera man *PPPFFTTTT! only 2 senators on phone link......one senator very very angry that he was only sent an email LAST NIGHT about the meeting. Many of the Audit Commission panel members (or whatever their titles) ARE NOT EVEN PRESENT!!! yet this is supposed to be a VERY IMPORTANT MEETING

*wow

[freakiness]

At least one angry senator has complained that they only got email notification about the hearing last night.

[freakiness]

Seriously though, why have we allowed a handful of people who have no concept of living in the average society, who all get extremely high incomes, who are not trained auditors, who all have vested interests, this attempt change to the fabric of our society?

[boris1gary]

http://theaimn.com/2014/05/02/19929/

Heavy lifting….for some

In 2012, mining magnate Nathan Tinkler of Whitehaven Coal put his plans for a $13 million beachfront pad in Newcastle on hold and moved his family to Singapore. In an amazing coincidence, Gina Rinehart has reportedly spent $S57 million ($A43.8 million) on two units, off the plan, in the same Seven Palms Sentosa Cove condominium project.  Eduardo Saverin, who co-founded Facebook at age 21, also lives in Singapore.

It might be because Singapore is a nice place that so many mega-wealthy people are flocking there – or it could have something to do with the fact that capital gains are not taxed. Individuals are only taxed on income earned directly in Singapore, and for the super wealthy, there are no inheritance taxes. Personal tax rates in Singapore are among the lowest in the world, with a cap of 20 per cent, compared to the top tax rate of 45 per cent in Australia. It’s got the banking secrecy laws, it’s becoming a financial centre, new casinos and now a lot of the big banks are operating out of Singapore purely because it’s becoming a very exclusive place to live

[boris1gary]

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/2254892/farewell-to-a-fair-go-commission-of-audit/?cs=390

Front of page of the local paper yesterday.....

By MERCURY EDITORIAL OPINION May 2, 2014, 8 a.m.